maintaining a random data list and a sequential data list;

dynamically establishing a desired size for the sequential data list, wherein the establishing act comprises:

empirically determining a marginal utility of adding space to the random data list;

computing a marginal utility of adding space to the sequential data list in terms of a rate of sequential misses; and

based on the computing and determining acts, establishing the desired size of the sequential data list, wherein the empirically determining act comprises determining a rate “s” of sequential misses as the number of sequential misses during a time period defined by two successive cache hits in a bottom portion ΔL of the random data list, wherein the computing act determines the marginal utility to be equal to a number between s/L and 2 s/L, inclusive, wherein s represents a rate of sequential misses for synchronous and asynchronous prefetching and L represents the length of the sequential data list.